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Halifax (metro) Transit.


Guest M. Boone

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Considering that 988 had similar visible damage after its fire, most likely. Not really going to miss it either - those old LFSs look and sound like they're ready to fall apart (or more likely, spontaneously combust) any day now. Luckily the rest of them are only 4 to 5 years away from being retired anyways (assuming MT sticks to this 18 year replacement schedule their 5 Year Plan was using) - provided they last that long that is...

It is kind of odd, now that you mention it. I guess they figure most people only go to three key places along Main: if you want to go anywhere around Tacoma, take the 10/54/66/72, if you want to go to NSCC, use the 10/54, and the 61/68 covers all main areas east of Forest Hills. Clearly they didn't factor in people wanting to go from Cherrybrook/North Preston straight to Tacoma. The only realistic choices are to do nothing because they feel that things work the way they are, or add a new route between Micmac and Cherrybrook (perhaps an Urban Express since those are expanding into Dartmouth next year?).

While we're at it, I also don't think every part of HRM needs direct connections to everywhere else, but why in the blue blazes is there no way to get from Eastern Passage directly to Cole Harbour? While I'm sure plenty of people use the 65 to get from the Astral area to Portland Hills, it seems so easy to extend its run, have it do a loop through Eastern Passage, then go back to Portland Hills. Yes you still have to connect to a Corridor bus to get into Cole Harbour proper, but it would save a lot of people having to either a - get off in Woodside, transfer to the 57, then transfer again at Portland Hills, or b - get off at Five Corners/Alderney/Bridge Terminal and then take a Corridor bus into Cole Harbour. Heck, considering the 65s performance numbers, it might help a little to run it out here (22% cost recovery during the day isn't going to win it any awards...).

as someone who lived in the Roleika/Calidonia area, I can see the point of wanting a route that would travel along main street.. I often found it frustrating to do the roundabout route of trying to get to cherrybrook, or out to portland hills, or even to get to Dartmouth General, is just ridiculous!!

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Should still be Classics for the Fall 2014 MBS Convention.

with the way things are going on with RTC, dont count on it.. heard from extremely reliable sources, that the MCI/Nova HF's are failing more & more often..

Also when current safeties are expired, dont expect them to be renewed..

Also the elevator at Woodside is OOS indefinitely.. with cost of new buses & ferry, Council are really putting up a fight to not replace it anytime soon..

Also to get from ferry to bus level, for physicially disabled people is an absolute nightmare currently, there used to be a Access-A-Bus posted to the ferry terminal, but its been discontinued, now if you need it, if your coming from halifax, you have to let security know at halifax terminal know, they call security at woodside, they in turn request one from access-a-bus, you are LUCKY if you wait less than 45 minutes after arriving on the ferry at the Woodside terminal...

I know this, as I've had to deal with this 9-10 times in the last 3 1/2 weeks..

if you are on the Woodside bus platform, you have to call 311 yourself, (who are refusing to give direct number for MT AAB, instead making you hold on, for 10-15 minutes while they screw around.. (most 311 ppl, are ok, but a few are really getting on my nerves!!)

Now what if that disabled person has no cell phone or is deaf or cant speak???? they're screwed... no wonder why people wont rely on the conventional MT, buses/ferry, its so inaccessible at most times that its just a PITA...

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Hopefully there's a good reason why that elevator is still not in service, such as a part on back order or something. Or maybe it has something to do with the water leak they had a couple of months back, extensive damage or something. Anyway if they're eventually planning to increase Woodside service they'll have to do something...

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The classics that are on the road now should be fine for a bit longer. 985 just came back on the road within the last 2 weeks with a totaly re built engine. I have driven 973,971,977,and 981 with in the last week all work great. So as long as they dont catch fire I see them all making it till 2015, after that I have heard 1 or 2 might be kept for school special runs as they don't need low floors for that.

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Hmmm...I thought 985 was sounding particularly good when it drove by me the other day...

I suppose the question really is: with the XD40s starting to arrive later this year, how many more Classics do they plan to keep? Just the ones that got re-builds over the last year or two, or just whichever ones don't break/fail inspection?. Regardless, I've got to figure that at least some of the 950s and possibly the 960s will get axed once the Xcelsiors start to arrive...hopefully I'm wrong though (heck, maybe they'll put the old LFSs and D30LFs out to pasture first - okay, that won't happen, but a guy can dream, can't he?).

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The classics that are on the road now should be fine for a bit longer. 985 just came back on the road within the last 2 weeks with a totaly re built engine. I have driven 973,971,977,and 981 with in the last week all work great. So as long as they dont catch fire I see them all making it till 2015, after that I have heard 1 or 2 might be kept for school special runs as they don't need low floors for that.

so 5 left??

The person that I was speaking with ( within MT Burnside HQ ), said that only 5-6 are road worthy, & that the 22 new buses will kill them off.

I'll be sad to see them go, miss riding them..

on an accessibility note.

also was told by a 55 driver yesterday, that its not stated anywhere at RLTC or at BTC that if a 55 IS a ALF bus, that I cant get on.. 506 was out there... ramp & bus kneel both work according to the driver driving it..

Hmmm...I thought 985 was sounding particularly good when it drove by me the other day...

I suppose the question really is: with the XD40s starting to arrive later this year, how many more Classics do they plan to keep? Just the ones that got re-builds over the last year or two, or just whichever ones don't break/fail inspection?. Regardless, I've got to figure that at least some of the 950s and possibly the 960s will get axed once the Xcelsiors start to arrive...hopefully I'm wrong though (heck, maybe they'll put the old LFSs and D30LFs out to pasture first - okay, that won't happen, but a guy can dream, can't he?).

hey leave my beloved D30LF'S alone! they serve a purpose, I think they should be on the 54 too...

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The classics that are on the road now should be fine for a bit longer. 985 just came back on the road within the last 2 weeks with a totaly re built engine. I have driven 973,971,977,and 981 with in the last week all work great. So as long as they dont catch fire I see them all making it till 2015, after that I have heard 1 or 2 might be kept for school special runs as they don't need low floors for that.

That sounds more real as I know some of the new fleet is for expansion too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was just thinking about if they cut the route 8, what changes they could make to the route 90 to make up for some of it. They could still route the 90 up Lower Water and down Hollis, but after leaving the ferry terminal it could do a little jaunt up to Scotia Square, then back to Hollis via George St. Also does anybody know if there is a specific reason the route 90 takes Morris, and not South St? If they routed it via South, then they could also have a stop closer to the train station and the seaport market, which would help make up for removing the route 8 from the Marginal Road area..

Just some ramblings..

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I was just thinking about if they cut the route 8, what changes they could make to the route 90 to make up for some of it. They could still route the 90 up Lower Water and down Hollis, but after leaving the ferry terminal it could do a little jaunt up to Scotia Square, then back to Hollis via George St. Also does anybody know if there is a specific reason the route 90 takes Morris, and not South St? If they routed it via South, then they could also have a stop closer to the train station and the seaport market, which would help make up for removing the route 8 from the Marginal Road area..

Just some ramblings..

According to extremely reliable sources, within Metro Transit, they have absolutely NO interest to continue any bus service along the routing of the 8, They also will NOT be rerouting any other routes..

Halifax Seaport Market is trying to get this changed, but it will take a lot of effort, as MT & the city council, have no interest to put more money on this matter.

I am involved with HSM... but in a very limited way at this time I also am getting more involved in the MT ATAC, the next HSM public meeting about the redesign of the market & the next update regarding any movements on the transit issue, will be May 22, I'll be there, & I hope there has been some progress to some sort of a solution..

Currently, only the front stores on the Market are open Mon-Thur, the inner Market is open Fri-Sat-Sun, so that the renovations/Remodeling can take place..

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just saw something rather neat. Saw 752 on the route 10 Dalhousie displaying the new "10 Dalhousie via Spring Garden" destination sign which, as I'm sure folks here have noticed only displayed 10 Dalhousie on the side destination sign -- now the side destination sign was horizontally scrolling the full Dalhousie via Spring Garden (route number was stationary)

I knew they were capable, but I never thought I would see Metro Transit actually do something cool with their destination sign programming!

Anyone know if the Luminator Horizons on the D40LFs support scrolling as well?

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I noticed that too - actually made me do a double take when I saw it. With a lot of the destination signs becoming more wordy these days, it could be something we see more often in the coming years (not sure if the D40LFs can, but now we know the LFSs can, and I'm willing to bet the Xcelsiors will too).

I also found it odd that, save for the usual removal of the 41 and 42, there were no other service adjustments this month. Anyone know how long it's been since MT made no changes/adjustments at the start of a new pick (Feb/May/Aug/Nov)? (And no, last February because of the strike doesn't count XP).

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Just saw something rather neat. Saw 752 on the route 10 Dalhousie displaying the new "10 Dalhousie via Spring Garden" destination sign which, as I'm sure folks here have noticed only displayed 10 Dalhousie on the side destination sign -- now the side destination sign was horizontally scrolling the full Dalhousie via Spring Garden (route number was stationary)

I knew they were capable, but I never thought I would see Metro Transit actually do something cool with their destination sign programming!

Anyone know if the Luminator Horizons on the D40LFs support scrolling as well?

I asked them to change the side sign to flip back and forth about month or so ago in a committee that I sit on. I had indicated that although the front of the bus shows the via Spring Garden or Via Mic Mac on the front (another suggestion I made a year ago in the same committee). I had said that while it is at a terminal or major stop most people are looking at the side sign and should indicate it as well. Over the last couple of years this committee I sit on which is made up of union and management we have been working on trying to get the destination signs to show more of what the route does by showing the end of the route plus a major point it goes through. My thought is the more information (while not being too congested) will help passengers in the long run.

I will note that I had sugested not a scrolling sign ( as I didn't know it could) but one that just flipped back and forth. I saw a 10 at the Bridge today while I was driving. I was impressed by the scrolling sign looked a lot sharper then just flipping back and forth.

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I wonder if any of our resident operators can comment about something I've noticed. For the past few months there have been quite a few artics on the Portland street routes during rush hour. I know the 61 was supposed to have more artics on it, but the 59 and 68 have also been seeing artics a lot.

However for the past couple of weeks they seem to be back to using a lot of D40LFs on the 59 and 68. I'm wondering if anybody knows if they took the artics off because the universities are out? This morning's 59 leaving Penhorn at 8:20 got pretty crowded by the time we got to Alderney Drive. Hopefully the artics will be back sometime!

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The 61,14 was switched back to D40Lfs for the summer only the Artics will be back end of August. As for the other routes I took a quick look at the shifts and it seems most of the daytime 59's and 68's are based out of Burnside where there are only 10 Artics. Burnside also has a few 52's and 1's going out of their garage where their Artics are mostly being used. Ragged Lake takes care of a few of the night 59 and 68s and that is why you would see more of the Artics at night. My guess is you will see it change back to what it was after the summer.

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Just saw something rather neat. Saw 752 on the route 10 Dalhousie displaying the new "10 Dalhousie via Spring Garden" destination sign which, as I'm sure folks here have noticed only displayed 10 Dalhousie on the side destination sign -- now the side destination sign was horizontally scrolling the full Dalhousie via Spring Garden (route number was stationary)

I knew they were capable, but I never thought I would see Metro Transit actually do something cool with their destination sign programming!

Anyone know if the Luminator Horizons on the D40LFs support scrolling as well?

noticed it yesterday, on 751 (sitting at bay 13, at the Terminal), also have seen it do it on the 52, on 74?..

Also, if you guys are curious, the crappy seatbelt style wheelchair restraints, are s-l-o-w-l-y getting replaced with the Q-STRAINT J-Hook style, it will make drivers lives a LOT easier, as well speed up the loading/unloading process considerably..

Also, just a note, & a bit of a rant..

on Sunday night, on the FINAL Championship game of the CHL tourney, with the Moose, playing for the cup, MetroTransit, once again, SCREWED their passengers!

There were NO shuttles!!

NO Late Running Ferries!!

NOTHING!!

Not even a supervisor at Grande Parade.

Luckily, the LAST BUS ( a 1 Spring Garden), to go to Dartmouth, was at midnight..

The 52, ran till 1:30am.. yet nothing to get across the water from Downtown, We saw more than a few, people driving cars, along barring ton, that should have NOT been behind the wheel, as well as swerving cars..

I, along with 3 other woman, 2 of which are disabled, as well as 15-20 others, were nearly stranded in Halifax, (my 2 friends live near Highfield)

I was so pissed off....

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on Sunday night, on the FINAL Championship game of the CHL tourney, with the Moose, playing for the cup, MetroTransit, once again, SCREWED their passengers!

.

Metro Transit DID NOT screw anyone. Hockey Games last i checked are a private event and are not affiliated with any municipality (just the name of the town or city in the team name)

Just like any private organization or business.... the CHL should of contacted Metro Transit in regards to a special shuttle service. Metro Transit has no obligation to cater to private events. They most likely can't afford to add service just for this event unless CHL picked up the tab for operating this extra service.

It's your own fault for not researching or inquiring with the CHL before hand.

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